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I Love Hank. (Also I'm back.)

2024-08-03 · letter vlog · John · 3:53 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Personal life) · mode: Personal essay · tags: calendar ritual, civic or action cta, community lore, heavy topic

Returning on Esther Day 2024 from his longest break in 11 years, John recalls that Esther Earl chose a holiday for non-romantic love, tells Hank he loves him, says his month off taught him he deserves to be happy and functional, and argues Nerdfighteria is made by the people in it.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — John returns from his longest break on Esther Day and begins its origin story

  • ★★★ John returns to YouTube on Esther Day after his longest break in 11 years, says he is feeling much better and thanks viewers for their kind messages. — 00:00:00 · Esther Day, YouTube, Esther Earl
  • ★★ John says he will say more about his break on Tuesday. — 00:00:13
  • ★ John deadpans to Hank, asking whether anything weird happened while he was gone. (playful) — 00:00:16
  • ★★★ John recounts that in 2010 the community created a holiday on the birthday of nerdfighter Esther Earl, who was dying of cancer and was asked what holiday she wanted. — 00:00:20 · Esther Day, Esther Earl, Nerdfighteria, cancer

00:00:29 — Esther Day's non-romantic love, the ask to say 'I love you', and John telling Hank he loves him

  • ★★★ Esther wanted a holiday celebrating love, especially the non-romantic kinds often left out of our conversations about love. — 00:00:29 · Esther Earl
  • ★★★ John hopes viewers who have a moment today will tell someone that they love them, in Esther's honor. — 00:00:40 · Esther Earl
  • ★★★ John tells Hank he loves him, noting they have traditionally said it only on Esther Day for fear of being too cloying or sentimental. — 00:00:45 · Hank Green, Esther Day, Esther Earl
  • ★★ John says saying 'I love you' has become easier since Hank got cancer: they are more aware it is silly not to tell people you love that you love them. — 00:00:58 · Hank Green, cancer
  • ★★ John is extremely grateful to be Hank's brother: of his many jobs, which he likes, his best job is being Hank Green's brother. — 00:01:05 · Hank Green
  • ★★ John thanks Hank for encouraging him to take time off, which was helpful and productive even though he wasn't mainly producing things for the public. — 00:01:13 · Hank Green

00:01:27 — What John's month off taught him: he deserves to be happy and functional

  • ★★ John used the month to reflect on what he wants from life, why his actual living has been so misaligned with it, and what long-term changes he needs to be happy and functional. (hedged) — 00:01:27
  • ★★★ The most important thing John learned this month (August 2024), and must hold on to: he deserves to be happy and functional, and so do viewers. — 00:01:40
  • ★★ John cites a wise man who told him he will always struggle with not feeling productive until he accepts that his own joy can be something he produces: not the only thing he will make, but something valuable and beautiful; he then jokes the author should take those words to heart. (playful) — 00:01:50 · first in: 2020-07-14, The ice we skate is getting pretty thin.

00:02:03 — Esther would be 30; her friends are grown up; adulthood is not a destination

  • ★★ John desperately wishes Esther were here; she would be 30 years old, a grown-up. — 00:02:03 · Esther Earl
  • ★★ John is proud of Esther's now grown-up Nerdfighter friends and of all the people who let the brothers be part of their growing up. — 00:02:10 · Esther Earl, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John finds it cool that those people are discovering adulthood is not a destination where everything ends but an opportunity for more growing. — 00:02:20

00:02:26 — Tonight's Esther Day celebration and This Star Won't Go Out

00:02:55 — Nerdfighteria as a community made by its members; thanks to Esther; sign-off

  • ★★ This month (August 2024) reminded John of the importance of community; he is grateful Nerdfighteria could be an important community for Esther and for so many people. — 00:02:55 · Nerdfighteria, Esther Earl
  • ★★ John calls it a blessing that amid the messy, at times dispiriting internet, Nerdfighteria happened. — 00:03:10 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ John would like to take credit, but Nerdfighteria is constantly made up by the people who are and have been part of it, like Esther. — 00:03:17 · Nerdfighteria, Esther Earl
  • ★★ John thanks Esther for that and for the day celebrating the kinds of love too often neglected by our social order, and tells her he loves her. — 00:03:24 · Esther Earl
  • ★★ John tells Hank he loves him too and says he will text and call many people today to say he loves them, grateful to be interwoven into humanity. — 00:03:35 · Hank Green

In the description and comments

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Esther Day · Esther Earl · love

Also: People: Craig Benzine · Flula Borg

Organizations: This Star Won't Go Out (charity) · YouTube

Terms: doobly-doo

Concepts: adulthood · cancer · Happiness · productivity · romantic love

Also centred on love: I Love My Brother · Happy Esther Day! · Lives Made of Love - Esther Day 2016 · Two Love Stories · Uncertain and Afraid · you're bundled up now? wait till you get older.

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